Town Council - Regular Meeting

like to call to order the town council meeting Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 for the town of Newberg. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I alian to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Does anyone have any remembrances or acknowledgements to talk about tonight? I do. Okay.

Beth Braden, a 22-year veteran of our fire department and an EMT for um Town Newberg, lost her biggest battle. Yeah. Thank you. Anyone else? We'll go with roll call, please. Steve Shoemaker, District 1, present. Paul Perry, District 2, present. Stacy Kger, District 3, present. And Restoron, District 4, here. Council at large, Lyanna K. Hughes, happy to be here. Clerk treasurer Nad Angel here. Administrative town manager Chris Cook here.

Deputy Town Manager Andrea Balon is out. Town attorney Christopher Wisher here. Engineer Drew Blame present. All right. We received our minutes electronically and also in your packet. I'd like to make to make a motion to approve the March 11, 2026 minutes. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I. All those opposed. I assume no one signed up. Did we look? Okay. here.

We don't have any scheduled requests and appearances and no comments by citizens. So, we'll go on to new business. Civil Town bid opening. We first need to close the bids for the town of Newberg Ellerish Road covert installation. So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Second. Go ahead. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. I'd like to make a motion to open the bids for Town of Newberg, Elbridge Road, Culbert insulation, and miscellaneous paving. Do I have a second?

Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I.

All those opposed? Motion carries. Chris See that in these nice here? Uh so the first bid Dyke Brothers Lumber and Construction Company, Inc. Uh the total quote is $11,3121 comma 312.00.

Okay. Okay.

Second bid is SAM trucking and excavating. Their total bid is $36,200 36,200.00 0 0 Next is Chastain Jerry Chastain Jr. DBA Chastain excavating total bid $32,400 32A 400. The last one Cobberstein Contracting Inc. Total bid $75,32575, 325. Those are the all four bids for that.

For the record, the engineers estimate for the total of the work was 42,500. Okay. All right. I'd like a motion to take the bids under adisement for engineering and legal review. So move. Do I have a second? Second. with I had a question. All right. Under discussion. Yes. Okay. Go ahead. What makes such a difference? I mean, I'm I'm led to think that Drew would be close, but what's the big variation?

That could be just how busy they are. Um I mean, the the two lower end bids was right around the estimate of what we kind of expect. So, I'm not sure. Okay. Thank you. All right. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carries. Financial commitment letter for ready 1.0. Cook.

Yes. Uh we come before you tonight to seek your approval of uh allowing Stacy to sign the financial commitment letter. Um, we've been given a potential opportunity through the Ready One program um, with our friends at ERP to get $143, uh, 39.31 to be put towards the trail repairs. Um, if you recall last year during the flooding, there was damage to the trail right out here, roughly from Monroe to almost the flags. Uh we worked through our partners with FEMA. FEMA gave us roughly uh you know $50,000 to put towards this project and there was about $189,000 is what it would take to fix it to where the next time the river comes over it won't do that again. 50 grand that FEMA gave us would only put the rock back around the pillars underneath and the next time the water came up, we would be right back where we started. Um, so we worked with our partners at REAp and we knew that there was some money left over from the Ready One program and this type of project aligns with the vision and the mission statement of the Ready One. They have to spend that money by September 30th of this year. And this is stuff that's left over from ready one projects that came in under budget. Um they've been able to cobble together these funds to offer them to us. So what I would ask is your approval and this comes with the blessing of the finance committee tonight um to allocate the uh or to sign the commitment letter and it the uh the total was uh like 193,000. I I've had it wrote down

566. Yeah, something like that. And um basically that would install gabian baskets once the river level drops um underneath the trail and then it would be built up and it would allow that landscaping to be fixed with our partners at HNI. But we would front that money for the project. But the ready funds would reimburse the town for 43 thou $143,39.31 and then 50,000 would be given back to the town through FEMA that we would go after. So we would be getting this project essentially done for $78,926. Okay.

I need a motion for the approval of the financial commitment letter for ready one. I'd make that motion and I'd like to speak to it if there's a second. All right. Do I have a second? I will second. All right. Discussion, Steve. Do we know if those are going to be galvanized or stainless? That question I can't answer at this time, but I can find out. Well, as much as the water goes up and down, we should make sure we if we get all possible to make sure we're going with stainless on that. Okay. We'll look into it. Y we'll confirm. Got it. Any other discussion?

I don't know if any of you know this or not, but we have used this kind of erosion control before. If you go up toward um Bel Reeve, just past the entrance to Bel Reeve, you'll see on the north side of the highway uh an example of this erosion control used maybe 20 years ago. Um it's it's not um it hasn't grown up maybe as much as we thought it would, but as far as the um the vegetation coming through the stones, so you can especially this time of year, you can really see the the wire netting. So,

well, you can you can get green gave baskets now that are that are planted on the fascia of them, but you wouldn't want to do that out here where you're going to have water up on them because you would kill the vegetation. But if we have another project like the one you're talking about, that would be good to use a green what's called green gave. Well, it was pretty revolutionary for us to do that that long ago. And they didn't have 30 years ago, they didn't have green back. It's It's held. It's done its job. Okay. The condos also have it right here on the back side. Oh, do they? Yeah.

Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. All those opposed? Motion carries. Newberg MS4 annual report. Cook, you have in your packet the MS4 annual report for your review and approval. And this is what um we send in annually for the storm water portion. And this was prepared by um I believe Andrea and Drew. And I'll be free to answer any questions, but we would ask for your approval. We have to have this in, I believe, by April 1st. Mhm.

So, we would need your approval tonight to be compliant so we can get it in. I need a motion for the approval of the town of Newberg MSA MS4 annual report. So, move. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say I.

I. All those opposed? Motion carries. I'll just mention one thing with the report too since they didn't give kudos out but uh just a real quick item. I want to make sure that uh everybody's aware that that the MS4 group has been working very diligently on the mapping. It's a very big initiative this year is doing the storm sewer system mapping. Um our friends over at the wastewater department have also been helping us. But all that work is being performed inhouse. I know Riley's been doing a lot of work on that as well. Uh so it's it's saving a lot of money what the the town is doing and also uh I know this has been mentioned previously but the the Novo software u I know Chris has been working very diligently on it's going to be a major enhancement that's going to allow the town to log task keep track of all the permitting enforcing and it'll be a really great program and asset for them and just for the year too um the uh I I know Andrea worked hard on the public participation. She had five events, outreach events uh to inform the public and um again, it's been a pretty successful year and there's been some major undertakings that the the town staff has been doing this year and into 2026 in which the five-year audit is actually up. So, at the end of this year, there's going to be a new five-year uh program that would be established through the EPA. And

we we have a 20 25% chance of getting audited by the federal government this year, too. Yeah. Okay. So, we could get both state and federal in the same year. Okay. All right. Any other discussion? Newberg SS4A Engineered Drew.

Uh yes. So, this uh agreement follows up from the last town council meeting with the the ward. So this is the the work for the supplemental planning activities um associated for the town's safety project priority areas. Uh this includes uh the engineering traffic engineering studies, conceptual plans, cost estimates. Um it will also include an update to the town's ADA transition plan. Uh the agreement amount matches the the budgeted plan for the grant that the town uh received and with the town's execution uh the project will have an immediate kickoff uh meeting established and then also be looking to conduct the traffic field data collection.

Okay. I need a motion for the approval of the town of Newberg SS4A engineer task order. So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion, Drew? That's a lump sum. Not not to exceed. Correct. That is correct. Thank you. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carries.

Preservation Hall repair and plaster. Um, you have in your packet three quotes for repairs that need to be made to preservation halls plaster. Uh it's gotten to a point where we're worried about losing some rentals and it was approved uh in the recent finance committee for the I think the lowest one was 753450 and uh Noah said they could get started in the next uh few weeks to get us ready for wedding season. And um but this is again I just want to preface this is goes back to a historic water issue. Um, this is the first time it's really happened since I've been here, but I've been told that this happens every few years. Um, so we we need to do this bandaid immediately so we can keep the rentals up and then u you know down the road we're going to have to address the long-term drainage plan still. Um, Noah's been doing a great job of uh maintenance up on the roof after every event, making sure the gutters are open to where water is trying to get as much of it away from the structure as we can. But I would seek your approval tonight on this repair.

I need a motion for the approval of the repair plaster and paint quotes for Pres Hall. So move. Do I have a second? Second. Okay. Discussion. I do have a question. Yes. Okay, we only were able to get a couple. Not many people do plaster work. I read that that Noah had reported that, but I guess so which one or we don't agree yet which one we're taking? Premier was the lowest.

Okay. One of the things that I suggested when we did this the last time on the day that we were there for the dedication of the improvements to the building, it was already showing some damage around the edge of the bar meeting room on the first floor. Damage around the edge of the plaster where furniture was being pushed up against it. Chairs. I suggested at that time a chair rail be put in all the way around. It didn't happen. So plaster in that area has been hit by chairs and whatever else many times. A chair rail would stop that and maybe stave off a little bit of repair that has to be done each time that could be added.

Something I can get with Noah. He's got a tremendous Yeah. Something he could do. Yeah. It's not It wouldn't be much just some wood and some stain, but it would save us. Plus, it would save the look of the room. Yes. Because when you start losing chunks of plaster and so on. Um, when we did this the last time also, we had grants from historic um, organizations. Is there a reason that we can't do something other than plaster that might last longer?

That would be an Andrea question on that. Um, I would have to look into that because I didn't I didn't handle the quote process on this. So let me uh look at that and I can see but I I think I think there's certain covenants with the the money that was taken in the past through the state that they have to get it yes had to be done

like to light and I think we're still under the is it 10 or 20 year after you take that money covenant and you have to fill out a report every year and I think there's some strings to what's been done in the past to where we have to continue down that path. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carries. Through Newberg float EQ project.

Yes. So notice a board was previously given to Reynolds Construction LLC. Since that time, the contractors provided all bonds, insurance, and met those requirements. Uh so engineer recommends town execute the owner contractor agreement. Uh this contract amount is $26,252,000. All right. I need a motion for the approval of the Newberg flow EQ basin project notice to Reynolds. So move. Second.

Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I I need now a motion for the approval of the Newberg flow EQ to Reynolds. Yes. So this is the notice to proceed. So engineer recommends that the town give notice to proceed to Reynolds Construction LLC dated for March 25th, 2026. And this will start the 730day construction contract schedule. All right. Do I have a second? I would make the motion to give the notice to proceed to Reynolds for the new Newberg Chloe Cubid Basin. All right. Second.

Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I. All those opposed. I don't believe we have any unfinished business. So, we'll go on to staff reports. Chris. Okay. You have my report. Again, I want to apologize for the tardiness of that. I was at Purdue Road School last week. I went up on the 16th and attended some networking events. Was there in a class from sun up to sun down on the 17th and 18th and came back late on the 18th. Did you any networking at at the chocolate shop?

I did not go to the chocolate shop because I spent enough time there in the mid to late 90s going to college about 30 minutes to the south. It was the first time I've been in West Lafayette since 1998. And let me tell you, it's it's a little bit different. Um, they've done some building there since I was last there. I had to actually pull up my map and I on my phone because I I couldn't recognize some of the buildings for the points of interest, you know, and I've gone there for four years and visited, but there were several of them that went to the chocolate shop. And by that point, I was heading back to the hotel. Um, but that's a good place when you're in West Lafayette. But I didn't want to break down all the classes, but I learned more probably in two days of going up there than I had in a year and a half when it comes to LTP and INDOT. And it it wasn't necessarily the classes themselves, but the conversations that happened in between the classes. the fact that as you see later in my report, I was able to sit down with the people from INDOT on the CCMG and I have a better understanding about the project now. Um, some of the mapping issues that we have with the LTAP with the truck uh sign scenario, we've got we've got some traction now because people that I've been trading emails with for a year and a half, I was able to sit down and have 15 20 minutes with oneonone. Um, again, the only cost to the town to attend something like that, it's free for us to attend. We just have to pay the gas in the hotel and most of the meals between your hotel and what they provide there, you're good. So, um, it's something that we're going to with our new street superintendent, we're going to start sending at least a couple of us up there every year because of a best practice standpoint. There's something for the actual street employees. There's something for the managers. There's

something for administrators like myself. It's sort of a catchall, but we're going to start doubling down our efforts on getting up there going forward. Um, as you look at the personnel committee, um, kind of to piggyback on what Drew was saying earlier about the Novo software, we're going to be discussing through the committees in a few weeks on looking at potential summer interns. We've talked to a gentleman that worked for us in the splash pad system, but he's now a college student. There's some GIS data collection that we need to do for both the wastewater and the storm water system as far as loading up the backbone data um for GPS locations for everything from in outfalls, uh you know, signs, benches, everything. And uh we can turn these college students loose and they get a little college credit on that. So that'll be coming more on that soon. Also on item number one under miscellaneous, that's kind of what I talked about with the Purdue Road School. I actually went to a networking room and I said, "Here's my problem. Who do I talk to?" And three people pointed to the lady over there and I saw she had some Diet Coke in front of her. To be honest, I went and got her Diet Coke and I said, "Can I have some time?" And she gave me 30 minutes and we've already traded three emails since I got back from Purdue. So, um, that's the type of thing we've got a meeting with INDOT coming up on the 1st to kind of talk about getting some approvals to put rightway signs for no through truck traffic through Newberg. Up on 66 uh both ways and up on 662 and 69. Um, so we are making some progress. Been working with Chief Mitchell on that for a long time. Um, but now I have a better understanding of who to talk to and what the process is on their end. And I wouldn't have been able to understand that unless I drove to West Lafayette.

Um, well, it's a good networking.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, the network that I was able I mean, I've got a lot of friends across Indiana now. I didn't realize. Um, but the, uh, it's good to see them and, uh, there's just so much information that can be garnered there. So, at after that, hopefully the next council meeting, we'll have an update on that. I also am we're I met with the LTAP officials up there and I'm finding in reviewing our our inventory of roads that the actual state has there's some discrepancies that we're going to be correcting. Um I don't think there's any council approval. It's just some of the vacations and stuff that we've had over the years never made it into their system for a couple alleyways. Um, and then there's a couple roads, um, when we accepted the trail all the way to 66, that's not showing up in their system. So, we're going to do a wholesale correction. I'm going to work with Drew and legal and Andrea when she gets back and we'll get those addressed. Um item number uh five, I met with the uh MO and I've got a talked to Chief Mitchell about it in the past and I've got a meeting with the uh some PTA or PT parent teacher organization folks from Newberg Elementary about a couple traffic issues. The MO can do a traffic study for us for free at those locations. So, after I meet with the PTO group again tomorrow morning, I'm going to be engaging them to try to get us some data at those two locations so that we can make an informed decision on any potential changes we need to do to alleviate some of the congestion during drop off and and pickup times at the school. Chris, might I ask while you're on that subject, will that meeting that you had be before the next sidewalks meeting, which is April 21st?

Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. And the one the next sidewalk meeting I think you said was on the se or no the growth in progress was the that was GMP. Yeah. Because that one I'll be calling in because I'll be up in India coming back. Um but we're we're making some progress. It's slow going but we really need that data and because we're members of the no we can get them to do these studies for free for us. So, I'm working with them on getting that set up. And once we have that done, we'll get the data to the police commission. We'll get it to each and every one of you and we'll kind of look at what we can do with our partners at Newberg Elementary to alleviate some of this congestion and traffic problem.

Okay. Item 10, um, we kind of covered on the, uh, the letter that was approved tonight with the REP on the ready one money. And that kind of breaks down what I said earlier. Item 12, I'm very proud of. We have scheduled in partnership with the War County SWCD on the 17th of April at the Overlook Park, there will be a re a weed wrangle with training from 10 to 2. lunch is going to be provided. We should have a flyer and start promotion later this week. And we even got renewable to donate the dumpster for us for that. So, we're going to send the street crew, Noah, I think a few folks from um uh the wastewater are going to come and get trained up on how to control the invasives on our property, but it's also going to be open to the public. So, it's been real great working with the War County um soil conservation district on this opportunity and we're going to use uh essentially the overlook as a classroom and kind of get some of the invasives out there that day and there'll be an information that'll be on our Facebook and uh website here in the next week or so on how to participate in that. Um but there's going to be a good educational component too. So, we're looking excited to or looking very forward to that. Also item 13, we received notification of a $10,000 grant for a IDOH, which is the Department of Health Tactical Urbanism Grant for a potential crosswalk at State Street and Newberg Elementary School in conjunction with the Grey Street sidewalk project. I just wanted to notify you that we don't have the grant agreement back. We just found out Monday. Um, Drew and I met with the gentleman this afternoon, so we'll have some more information as we move forward with that. On item 15, Ohio River Way has a huge

event where they're going to be paddling down the Ohio River over several weeks and I put the website on there, but on Sunday, May 31st, they're going to be stopping and spending the night here in Newberg. And there's going to probably be some discussions because uh they might want to camp. Um they might they can go to the strawberry social.

Yes. Um so we're trying to figure out what that looks like for you know some canoe folks. They want to stop here, eat. Um the cottages are rented already those days. So they've been going from town to town when they stop at night and they've been camping right off the river. And I know we're working with legal to see the best way to even see if this is an opportunity, but they're going to end their journey here in Newberg on the 31st and they're going to be paddling down two weeks ahead of time. So, we'll have a I'll probably work through the parks and then eventually get it to you all to kind of formalize that. Um, but just stay tuned to your email because if we have some clarifications we need to get, we don't want to see them not stop here because it's going to be significant, folks. But if you want more information about what they're doing, the Ohio Riverway.org and it's called the Ohio River Way Challenge. And uh I think they start way up where the river starts uh on the other side of P or uh

Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh I believe. and they're coming down um to here. And I asked him why aren't they going, you know, cuz if you really wanted the challenge, you go all the way because in my mindset there's more displacement from the Ohio River where it meets the Mississippi and technically that's all the Ohio River in my book, but that's a whole another discussion. Um so that watch for news on that. And then I did receive a notification early today at 4:00 in the morning. If you remember the Discovery Trail with the 250 national program that's going to be coming from coast to coast, they're looking at being in the Evansville Newberg area around the 12th to 14th of October. And I traded some emails today and I went ahead and put our cottages on hold and I might have a a better formal idea to present to you um in the coming meetings on that. Um, but they are going to stop in Evansville on the 12th. They're taking a day off on the 13th. And they're going to be in Newberg on the 14th. And then they're doing a trail trip up to St. Miner, I believe, that day from here. So, uh, we'll have more details on that when it gets closer to it, but that's my report. Do

you have any questions for Chris? Back to number three on the first page. Um, can you fill us in on what kinds of things the community meetings are talking about? The community meetings at the at the at the bank. Yeah.

Basically, we're just talking about events and a lot of the stuff that I give you in the report is what I share from the town standpoint, but there's been a focus on um some of the the the new uh convention visitor or the visitor bureau ladies been joining us. Of late there's been a lot of discussion about getting her up to speed on the different opportunities here in Newberg. Um we've had representation from HNI and the museum and the local uh Newberg theater group attends pretty regularly. Uh we just kind of go over and review some of the upcoming events that are coming up this summer. And uh the main concern that came out of the last couple meetings has been the trail um with the the work that we talked about earlier tonight, how to get that work completed. And you know, we were kind of in a holding pattern with FEMA because at one point FEMA was looking at funding the entire fix to put it better than it was. But at the last moment they would only approve the 50 for the RIP wrap and that's when when another wrap was ready. But the last two meetings, other than events, we've been talking about the trail and I believe some of the business members were also talking about litter in the community. Um, mainly cigarette butts. Um, and the how do we help combat people leaving their cigarette butts not in containers.

Um, did I I think I No, I think that's most of it. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Yep. Any other questions? Yes. Okay. Um, Chris, I noticed something on here uh where you had had communication with Okra. Yep. And I have been for two years trying to make a connection there to try to get him to come down for another Earth Day and I' I've just hit a brick wall like we're not they've got a new uh the gentleman that's over Oprah now is Johnny Concincaid the he's a well-known person. He's been in the position for just under a year and I can he's meeting with us um on another matter next next Tuesday.

Okay. But I can give you his phone number and email and he's very usually he travels the district, you know, but usually within a day or so you'll get you'll hear back from him. Okay, that'd be great. Thank you. So I'll uh let me write myself a note. Okay, any other questions for Chris? We'll go on to deputy town manager. She's not in, but

I'll do my best. If there's any questions, if you see some of the highlights, there is one correction in the report. She had talked about the groundbreaking of the playground. That should be uh that hasn't happened yet. That will be happening soon. Um but other than that, a lot of what I covered is in there. She's got a lot of the opportunities for continuing ed that she plans on doing. There's updates on the open jobs. Um, one of the things I want to draw attention to, um, on page three of her report, this Flock camera group left some graffiti flyers on town hall's doors a couple weeks ago, and I saw a report on channel 14 over the weekend, and they're talking about coming out to public meetings and uh, talking about how they feel about block cameras. Some of the stuff in the 14 report that they aired um Sunday is inaccurate about the capabilities of the flock cameras that are in the town limits. If you recall last year, I believe the chief uh through the police commission, we we installed two flock cameras in the town of Newberg. One is on 66 looking back down the trail and the other is up by the veterans marker pointing back into town on State Street, I believe. But the gentleman who obviously I believe is tied to the flyers that they interviewed Sunday night um talked about it having shot spotter capabilities and all kinds of gunshot detection stuff and that is not the case with what is installed here in the town limits. Didn't know if you wanted

Yeah. No, it's I saw the article myself as well. Uh, I mean the only thing these are really used for from our perspective is um stolen vehicles, felony warrants, um, and if we have a vehicle that was involved in a hit and run trying to figure out who it is. So, you know, it's we're we're recorded everywhere we go. We have recording devices on us all the time. Our homes have recording devices outside. Even if you don't pay a service, it's still recording. So, you know, I this is the world we're living in now. And I know things can be there are technologies that can probably be abused. Uh I can tell you and I can assure you that our stuff is not being abused at all uh in this county whatsoever. So I mean it's they're used for day-to-day operations if something happens if we need to locate somebody. We're not sitting there going through everybody's information. We we've got too much to do and you can't do that. It's it's impossible. But so I just wanted to bring it to each and every one of your's attention because the the way they I've been mark following some of their social media post and I expected to actually see a representative here tonight. So I just kind of wanted you to study up on that and kind of go on the record where everybody could see about what the true capabilities are of what we have here in Newberg and what was reported Sunday night on channel 14 is not the capabilities here in town. Um, and that lady was just here from 14. I probably would have told her she was still here. But, uh, going on in

Andrew's report, I want to thank, uh, Russell and his team and Andrea and, uh, everybody that helped out with our booth at the transition fair. Um, that was the War County transition fair. We're trying to go after these homegrown technical students because with the uh the seniority that we have in some of our skilled labor positions within the town of Newberg, there's going to be a point if we don't start going after the next generation, we're going to be in a world of hurt as far as having numbers to fill these. So the the team's been doubling their efforts on going after the vocational students that are produced here in War County and through the participation in this fair and that was kind of our first maiden voyage on uh that effort. But through that we had good networking with the the leadership up there at the uh career technical center up there in Boonville and it's going to lead to other opportunities. We've also reached out to the Southern Indiana Career Technical Center over in Vandenberg County and we're trying to get um our wastewater facility opportunities in front of these high school kids that are being produced here locally to make them aware of the opportunities that are available with us. So, I'm very proud and and you can see the pictures in the report of how they really uh James and his crew out there and Andrea put their heads together and they had a a great display. And I also want to I sent the the Sean stuff out, but that kind of speaks for itself. Um 1.4 billion gallons of water and we had what 4,300 gallons that we spilled last last year. I mean, that's that's like a drop in your glass,

right? Um, nobody's doing that. And with the mother nature events that we dealt with last year, that just talks about the the backbone and the commitment to everyday maintenance that the workers that make up our system have on a daily basis. There's some talk uh stuff in her report on the 250. Uh, we'll have a more detailed uh version of that with some cost to you hopefully by the next meeting. And then you can see all her board event and workshop updates. I'll try my best to answer any questions. Have any questions for

uh just one quick question. When are we going to have to make a decision about the town hall layout of the new addition or whatever? Andrea was working on that with Susan and I I don't know the exact date off the top of my head because I was kind of letting them run with the ball on that one. Um, I don't think it's like right away, but we need to do something soon. I would like to see us have be able to have have like a little presentation from Andrea or something. Okay. As to what's changing because she put that in there. I'm reading it on here, but I'm not sure. I understand.

Well, there's two options. They uh this is all coming. The wastewater uh office here is out of uh space. Yes, I understand. and we need to take and reconfigure because we've got a lot of dead space in so they engaged with the architect to look and provide option A and B and and I see that

and the thing that I really put in there that the input that Andrea had you know we're still trying to get an extra public bathroom that faces outside and if you look on option B there is an option I believe they both. I can't remember if they both, but I know option B has an option to where there would be an outdoor door that goes into a public restroom hooked into some of the additional space that we're wasting now. Okay.

And it would be kind of in that general area over there. But as far as giving you the exact measurement in relation to that door over there, I would defer to Henry on that. Um, these are just concepts, but I would I can get with her and have her follow up with you. Okay. I would imagine before any decision was made, there would be some sort of presentation here. That's what I'd like to see. I'm sure I'm not the only one that wants to It would probably go through utility because I think the utility is paying for most of it. Okay. And then we would probably run it through that board first, which you would have say on, and then bring it here.

Okay, sounds good. Thank you. We'll back to flop for just a minute. Um the top part of that page. Think how far we've come when Dennis Patton, bless his heart, was excited because women's club paid for a siren for his police car. And that's what that's what the picture is not great, but that's what this is about. When the club bought a siren for the police car, it was a big deal. Uh yeah, it was a good deal. Um, and it was the latest.

You know, I I have to object to both of the options for um changing town hall. We would gain a few feet and we would not even um gain access to a public restroom where I believe people will be looking for it. I thought the whole point of this was to serve people on the trail. Now, I understand that they can come around the corner, but that that's not the the intent. When we first started talking about doing a public restroom, it was because people on the trail need it. So, this is just, you know, another block or two away from the trail, they probably would find it. As you well know, because I've spoken about it many times before, I do not support putting a bathroom at the front door of the town hall. I think that's bad planning for a lot of reasons. Um, we just need to bite the bullet. We just need to do something and it's got to be something big. Stacy and I took some time out over a year ago now, um, walked out and looked at the loading dock of the library, which they don't use anymore and certainly aren't using now. We knew they were planning their addition, their remodel. It would have been a perfect time to to piggy back with them on that. Uh I don't think it's too late to do something like that to add to the back of the of the uh of the building because we gain nothing here. We're robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's silly. It's silly to put this kind of time and this kind of money into reconfiguring this building. without adding something to it. The other option is to move an office out, move utility out, move somebody out. Um, we did that with police, so it's not like it's unheard of at the time. It was

um very much opposed to by a lot of people, um, police included, but we did it because we needed to. There wasn't anything else was going to make it okay. And I think this we're in the same boat right now. There isn't anything else we can do in this building that's going to give us enough room to make it worthwhile. By the time it's done, it will be filled up and we'll be facing the very same problems again.

Any other discussion? Um, I did want to ask, you haven't set the date for the playground thing. We're She's working through that. It It'll be soon. We'll let everybody know. I just want to make sure I know about it. I mean, I want to be able to It should be soon. Wait, I director of planning and zoning.

Hi, everybody. Uh, Riley Jones, planning and zoning. I don't have any agenda items for you all, but I haven't been here in a while, and I figured I'd just show my face. So, board of zoning appeals, we did have a meeting this past Monday. Um, the special use permit allowing the sign on residential lot off of Yorkshire Drive, uh, was denied by the board. Um, the conditional use permit, which would allow the lot, so that's the back lot of 3 State Road 662, to be used for school purposes, including parks and playgrounds. um was approved. Uh our next meeting is April 27th. Um I don't have any submissions as of right now, but I will keep you all posted. Our next HPC meeting is on April 9th. I have one COA application. Um I may have another one. Depends on if I get what I need in time. Plan Commission, our next meeting is April 6th. I don't have any submissions for that either. Storm water board, our meeting is this Monday. I will have an agenda out for you all tomorrow. Apologies for the delay. I've had some computer issues. Um I also do have a code enforcement spreadsheet as well as a permit spreadsheet.

I appreciate those spreadsheets on on on your report. Yeah, I figured it's it's easier to to see. It is. It is much easier to see, especially for old eyes like me. Any questions for Riley? I don't know if this applies to what you do, but I think it does. Sure. There were incorrect signs put up on Water Street. Oh, it's already been taken care of.

Okay. Thank you. Yeah. We did not have um two members at BCA on Monday night, but uh both of the optimal accessess requests pass asked unanimously with three members. There are normally five just as an addition. Any other questions or comments? Thank you, Riley. Appreciate it. Annette clerk treasurer.

Okay. Um we have have submitted our annual financial report on time and it is currently being reviewed by our auditors. They came in I submitted it on a Friday and they I got my audit letter on the following Tuesday. But apparently I wasn't the only clerk treasurer that got the letter. Um because when I was at conference the next week, there were at least 10 or 15 that I had talked to over dinner that they were all connecting with their offices going through the audit process. Um it's going very smoothly. He's been here for about a week and a half. Um he's a very nice guy and we are really working through some things as it relates to having to submit two different annual financial reports. one for the town and one for the redevelopment authority. That was a requirement that began over COVID of 2020 and it's just been evolving to what it is now. So, um we're working very hard to make sure that if it's submitted correctly this time around with all the different changes that they've made throughout the year, um that it'll continue being submitted correctly over, you know, for here on out. We did have a finance meeting before this meeting. It started at 4:45. Um, we reviewed um the audit and we also went over the information related to the year-end numbers. Um, I provided spreadsheets to everybody to review um to kind of let you know where we were at. We also have a spreadsheet that provides the reserves that we were able to gather towards the end of the year, which hopefully we will be able to maintain. Um, we also went over the status of all the bond projects and where we're at, um, with the bond dollars and the status of the projects in the financial stat in the financial status. We reviewed the FEMA grant that Chris presented earlier. Um, we talked about the IHOP roof replacement, um, the Ellerbush covert and also the paint

plaster. I just want to remind everybody, I do realize that we are approving these projects, but I just want to make sure that you all know that these are unbudgeted projects because we were unable to put maintenance in the budget this year due to the anticipated budget cuts. We will be utilizing reserve. That's what it's there for. But I just want to let you know this is probably going to get worse before it gets better. And so we're continuing to do our best to not band-aid situations, but permanently fix situations until the state decides they've made a mistake and fix the situation. So that's kind of where we're at. If anybody has any questions, I'm always available. Give me a call.

Okay. Any questions for Nette? Chris, town attorney. No report. Any questions for Chris? Drew, town engineer. No additional items unless you have any questions for me. Do we? All right, we'll go on to commission committee reports. Air authority. No report. VZAN, you have heard a better report than I could give from Riley. I understand. I'm going to say that too. Any questions for an fired? Tonight is Nick and Holly Donan's 20th wedding anniversary and he's not here. I don't believe it. And he won't be.

No. I don't have anything. Any questions for Ann? Oh, don't forget to make your reservations for the 15th if you haven't already done that. Please. How do I do that? I have it in my calendar, but you just let them know that you'll be there. Who do I contact, Nick? I'd say I Yeah. Okay. Uh, HPC. Riley gave my report and did an excellent job. Thank you, Riley. Any questions for Riley? I covered HPC for you. You did? Yes, I did. I told you I was going to do that. Thank you. Yeah, I did. I appreciate that. Um, don't tell anybody, but they're a whole lot more fun than BCA.

We are. It was a really good meeting. Um, very interesting. There were a couple of uh items that were approved and um it was glad I was glad to be back with HPC if only for one meeting. Okay. You're welcome to come to any meeting. I know. I know. Plan Riley gave that report. I appreciate it. You skipped me. Oh, I skip because I already checked you off. You're done. I am done. All right. Paul, no. No meeting, no report. But the next meeting has shifted from uh April 2nd, which be the normal cadence, to April 9th. It's at Lou Dennis 6 PM April 9th. Okay,

Paul, please. Uh no meeting, no report except uh here's the chief if he wanted to let us know anything. Uh I don't have anything unless you have any questions. How's spring break going? Um personally, I've attempted to take off this week. I'm actually off so It's going fine, huh? It's going great. All right. You're doing it wrong. I know I'm doing it wrong. I usually do. All right. Steve, Stormwater, as Riley said, we have a meeting on Monday. Okay. Thank you, Steve and Riley. Any questions for them and Street?

Yes. Street has been busy doing a lot of the same things they were doing for the last couple of weeks with more storms to clean up from. They repaired two storm grates. They patched potholes townwide. They cleaned out ditches. They're cleaning the downtown streets and sidewalks. They cleaned town properties and parking lots. They picked up trash around town. They worked on decorative lights. They cleaned up the limbs at Darby Hills, um the street and townwide as well as Darby Hills. They cleaned drains, inlets, and outlets. They repaired a sinkhole at 419 French Island Trail. They washed off graffiti on the walkway several times. They blew the walkway and the wooded paths, cleaned those off, and trimmed limb limbs that were impeding traffic. That is it. But um I do have something else. This is uh from Maym Mason. I ask the past town managers to give me some thoughts as John Hec prepares to leave us after 37 years of employment with the town. And this is what May said about his initial interview that she remembers very clearly. After his interview, we looked at one another and said things like, "Aw, he's so young. Oh, he's so inexperienced. You know, he's never worked in public eye before." And we went on and on and on. And then finally the group realized John Fischer who was the street

superintendent at that time who was not retiring but just hiring someone on the crew. John Fiser who would be John Hick's supervisor and leader hadn't said a word. Some um he hadn't said a word. Some of us said John what did you think of John Heck? Your opinion is probably the most important. John thought for a good bit and then he finally gave a big grin and said, I can teach him. He's smart and he can learn on his own. The key to John's success are those three words, on his own. He was like a sponge. He soaked up everything that John Fischer taught him. But it wasn't before long that he was thinking and doing on his own. Whose great idea was that? I asked John Fischer one day and John Fischer said, "Ah, it was John Hex. Now he thinks he's smarter than I am, but he had the biggest twinkle in his eye when he said it. Little by little, year by year, everyone began to rely on John Hec more and more. He knows the town inside out. They relied on him as well for everything. We've had a lot of night storms in Newberg, but I never remember a time that John didn't get out of bed and drive to Newberg at 2 am to cut trees, blocking roads, to help clean up debris, and to do whatever was needed. He's had a stellar career with the town and will be sorely missed. I wish him good luck and good luck to his family. He plans to fish, hunt, and spend time with his grandchildren. he has um said no to every offer to do anything to celebrate. So, if you have time just to drop a line

or send a text in the next couple of days, um I know that would be appreciated. 37 years is a long time to put up with all of us. It's true. True. Thank you. Thank you. He will be missed. All right, Steve. utility. No meeting, no report.

Any questions for Steve? Standing committees, finance. Nanette gave her report and I'll go along with that. Personnel, we have not had a personnel meeting lately. Arts Commission Lyanna Arts Commission has been very busy. In fact, we've been meeting weekly uh in preparation of the another Earth Day event which is April 25th. And um we've got a bunch of exhibitors lined up uh like we did last year. Uh we didn't have very many crafters last year, but hopefully that's changing this year. Um it it's going to be pretty exciting. So it's April 25th, Saturday. Hope you all make time in your calendar to stop by. and then just the regular uh arts commission. We've got all the slots filled with music for every Saturday. Um and that's going well. Um we are going to need a little bit of money, but I always tell you that every year. I want my own budget, but you won't give me

No, you've got one. You have a budget. You have a budget. No. Yes, you do. Yeah, you do. We have a $3,000 budget just like you asked. Okay. Don't tell my committee. Thank you. Thank you. I thought you just told me to just come to you and tell you. No, that was last year. Okay. This year we have a budget. Okay. You're pretty adamant about it, so we made sure it happened. I know, but I didn't think it cared that I was I made her do it. Oh, thank you, Stacey. Okay. Well, that's pretty much it. All right. Sidewalk, Lyanna.

Uh, sidewalk committee is the next meeting is um coming up shortly. No, it's not. It's not till later in April. It's on the 21st of April. And we have been working on uh exactly how we're going to try to make use of the the bond money that we're going to have. They're gray and state. So, we've been working on different different things that we want to see accomplished with the money we're going to have. Any questions for Lyanna? All right, Steve, do you have any miscellaneous business? Growth in progress. Oh, another Lyanna. Sorry. Growth in progress.

Okay. Well, we had to skip our March meeting and so uh we've set the March meeting will be April 2nd at 3:00 here and then the actual April meeting will be on um a uh April 30th. So, we are getting both meetings in, but it's kind of spread apart a little bit. And we at our last broker progress meeting, we all left with our little assignments. So, Okay. Homework, huh? Yeah. Okay. Any questions for Lyanna? All right. Now, we'll go to miscellaneous, Steve. Nothing at this time. Paul?

Uh, nothing for me. And what are we going to do with our surplus green street signs? They're over in the parking lot at the the signs are there, too. The parking lot at the street department. What's the plan? Probably don't have one yet. Well, the last time we replaced all the street signs in town, we had an auction because we had a member of the council who was an auctioneer.

We declared the surplus. We advertised the auction. We had it in the parking lot uh that's now the front pad of the amphitheater because that's where the big maintenance building was left over from World War II. And so all the signs were just out there and people came and bought bid on and then you know got choice of whatever they wanted. So there is kind of a market out there for stuff like that. People love old signs and especially if they can get the one that's from their corner. Okay. So I think they're worth doing something with not just trashing not just sending to it. I think that's great. Okay. So

thank you. And we may have other things that can go into an auction also a surplus. But I think it, you know, even if we can't do that, if there's any way to sell them for like a $20 donation to Lyanna's Fund for Arts or whatever, then you're having a good night. Well, what could I pro it would probably go to offset some of the costs? It would. But what I'm saying is in that scenario, I mean, we don't have the time to run an auction with everything we're doing. It would be better just to donate them to the arts and let them Somebody could manage an online an online auction. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, you have to have

So, if we chose if we chose the beneficiary, then they can be in charge of that, right? Yes. Exactly. That's So, we're going to have a fight between the park and the arts. Yeah. See who gets the signs? Well, you know what? the arts putting on the another earth. That's right. This would be recycling those signs if we had a little auction sign at another if we could get them surplus by then. If somebody could manage a table, that would be a Yeah, sure.

We should have the they should be finished soon and we're double checking because like I said, a couple of them came in incorrect. Those should be addressed if they haven't already and I'll try to get a amount of what what would be surplus to you guys by the next meeting. Sounds good. Good. I mean, we could still have the auction during the Earth Day for recycling, but I do believe that the money that we make from that needs to go back to offset the cost of the new signs. But anyway, it would have to come out. It would have to go back to the fund that those signs came out of, which would be LRNS. So, well, I just don't want to see them going to the landfill. I agree. So, I agree with that.

And too many people cover old signs to not have an interest. Since I've been here, all metal's gone to like the metal recycling place and we get actual like market rate, so it's not going to a landfill. Good. Any other miscellaneous? Ann, no. Lanna,

yes. Um, I've brought this up two or three times. This is either the I think the third time. We always at the first of the year have get given a little pin and acknowledgement to people that have done extra things and we haven't done that now for a while and I really wish we would do it again. I mean, I've got some Was it Yeah, I was thinking it was more in the spring. No, it's usually right after the first year.

So anyway, I sure would like to institute that again. I bet we have still a million of those little little pins. I don't know. Well, the plaques that were out here in the hall were taken down when they painted and they are in the closet at the end of the hall. Um because we had good neighbor Yeah. Good neighbor award. We had a citizen of the year award, whatever. And then the pins were even more precious than getting your name on the plaque. That was something really, really special if you earned a pin. I did. So, yeah, you know, that was just one of those nicities that we used to do. I just think it's good for us to It's good.

Yeah. Okay. Let's think about that. Okay. Come up with a plan. Okay.

All right. Approval of claims, then. All of the claims have been have been provided to council five days prior to this council meeting for review. Just so for the record, they're always available for anybody who wants to see them at any time. I would like to request that these claims plus any sewer adjustments be approved for payment in the amounts of for civil town $290,790.88 2979.88 88 for sewer $59,874.7250874 and 72 cents. I'll make a motion to approve all claims properly sign including any sewer adjustments to be paid. Do I have a second? Second.

Any discussion? All those in favor say I. Motion carries. I'll make a motion for the adjournment. Do I have a second? Second. No discussion. All those in favor say I. I.